This disclosure relates to an energy absorbing assembly and more particularly, to an energy absorbing assembly adapted to provide increased energy adsorption in response to an activation signal.
Many products are vulnerable to injurious forces resulting from an impact, e.g., vehicles, helmets, and the like. These products must be able to absorb a significant percentage of the energy from an impact. Within the vehicle, for example, occupants require protection from an impact with structural body components such as door pillars, frames, and headrails. These components are typically made of steel tubing or steel channels that are welded together to form the structural cage or unitized body for the vehicle and may themselves become deformed as a result of the impact. Energy absorbers have been placed over the door pillars, frames, headrails, and other parts of the vehicle to protect the vehicle occupants. Prior art approaches have used irreversible air inflation devices, e.g. air bags and inflatable side curtains, rigid translation devices, e.g., extendable/retractable knee bolsters, and devices that can change the stroking forces, e.g., magnetorheological material based dampers.